Reichsmark: Difference between revisions

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| image_title_2 = {{Reichsmark|5}}—banknote depicting an allegorical German youth
| image_title_2 = {{Reichsmark|5}}—banknote depicting an allegorical German youth
| using_countries = {{plainlist|
| using_countries = {{plainlist|
*{{flag|Weimar Republic}}
*[[Weimar Republic]]
*{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
*[[Nazi Germany]]
*{{flag|Allied-occupied Germany}}}}
*[[Allied-occupied Germany]]}}
| pegged_by = [[Belgian franc]], [[Bohemian and Moravian koruna]], [[Bulgarian lev]], [[Danish krone]], [[French franc]], [[Italian lira]], [[Luxembourg franc]], [[Dutch gulden]], [[Norwegian krone]], [[Polish złoty]], [[Serbian dinar]], [[Slovak koruna (1939–1945)]], [[Ukrainian karbovanets]] in [[World War II]] as similar rates
| pegged_by = [[Belgian franc]], [[Bohemian and Moravian koruna]], [[Bulgarian lev]], [[Danish krone]], [[French franc]], [[Italian lira]], [[Luxembourg franc]], [[Dutch gulden]], [[Norwegian krone]], [[Polish złoty]], [[Serbian dinar]], [[Slovak koruna (1939–1945)]], [[Ukrainian karbovanets]] in [[World War II]] as similar rates
| subunit_ratio_1 = {{frac|1|100}}
| subunit_ratio_1 = {{frac|1|100}}
Line 461: Line 461:
{{n-after|currency=[[East German mark|East German Mark]]|ratio=1 Mark = 7 Rentenmark on the first 70 Rentenmark for private individuals, otherwise 1 Kuponmark = 10 Rentenmark|reason=reaction to the changeover in [[Trizone]] (later West Germany and [[West Berlin]])}}
{{n-after|currency=[[East German mark|East German Mark]]|ratio=1 Mark = 7 Rentenmark on the first 70 Rentenmark for private individuals, otherwise 1 Kuponmark = 10 Rentenmark|reason=reaction to the changeover in [[Trizone]] (later West Germany and [[West Berlin]])}}
{{n-after|currency=[[German mark|Deutsche Mark]]|ratio=1 Deutsche Mark = 1 Rentenmark for first {{Reichsmark|600}}, 1 Deutsche Mark = 10 Rentenmark thereafter, plus each person received 40 Deutsche Mark|reason=intended to protect West Germany from the second wave of [[hyperinflation]] and stop the rampant barter and [[black market]] trade}}
{{n-after|currency=[[German mark|Deutsche Mark]]|ratio=1 Deutsche Mark = 1 Rentenmark for first {{Reichsmark|600}}, 1 Deutsche Mark = 10 Rentenmark thereafter, plus each person received 40 Deutsche Mark|reason=intended to protect West Germany from the second wave of [[hyperinflation]] and stop the rampant barter and [[black market]] trade}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Polish złoty]]|ratio=None|reason=Transfer of the "[[Recovered Territories]]" to [[People's Republic of Poland|Poland]]}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Polish złoty]]|ratio=None|reason=Transfer of the [[Recovered Territories]] to [[People's Republic of Poland|Poland]]}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Soviet ruble]]|ratio=None|reason=Transfer of modern [[Kaliningrad Oblast]] to [[Soviet Union]]}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Soviet ruble]]|ratio=None|reason=Transfer of modern [[Kaliningrad Oblast]] to [[Soviet Union]]}}
{{n-before|currency=[[French franc]]|ratio=?|reason=annexation to [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]}}
{{n-before|currency=[[French franc]]|ratio=?|reason=annexation to [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]}}

Revision as of 20:35, 9 June 2025

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The Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "IPA".; sign: ℛ︁ℳ︁; abbreviation: RM) was the currency of Germany from 1924 until the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945, and in the American, British and French occupied zones of Germany, until 20 June 1948. The Reichsmark was then replaced by the Deutsche Mark, to become the currency of West Germany and then all of Germany after the 1990 reunification. The Reichsmark was used in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany until 23 June 1948, where it was replaced by the East German mark. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Script error: No such module "Lang". (Rpf or ℛ︁₰).[1] The Mark is an ancient Germanic weight measure, traditionally a half pound, later used for several coins; Script error: No such module "Lang". (realm in English) comes from the official name for the German state from 1871 to 1945, Script error: No such module "Lang"..

History

The Reichsmark was introduced in 1924 as a permanent replacement for the Papiermark. This was necessary due to the 1920s German inflation which had reached its peak in 1923. The exchange rate between the old Papiermark and the Reichsmark was Template:Reichsmark = 1012ℳ︁ (one trillion in American English and French, one billion in German and other European languages and British English of the time; see long and short scale). To stabilize the economy and to smooth the transition, the Papiermark was not directly replaced by the Reichsmark, but by the Rentenmark, an interim currency backed by the Deutsche Rentenbank, owning industrial and agricultural real estate assets. The Reichsmark was put on the gold standard at the rate previously used by the German mark, with the U.S. dollar worth Template:Reichsmark.[2]

Expansion outside the Reichsmark

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During this period a number of shell companies were created and authorized to issue bonds outside the Reichsmark in order to finance state projects.[3] Nominally exchangeable at a 1:1 rate for Reichsmarks but then discounted by the Reichsbank this created secret monetary expansion without formally renouncing the gold standard of the Reichsmark.[4]

World War II

With the annexation of the Federal State of Austria by Germany in 1938, the Reichsmark replaced the Austrian schilling. During the Second World War, Germany established fixed exchange rates between the Reichsmark and the currencies of the occupied and allied countries, often set so as to give economic benefits to German soldiers and civilian contractors, who were paid their wages in local currency. The rates were as follows:

Currency Date set Value per Template:Reichsmark
Belgian franc May 1940 FrTemplate:Nbsp100
July 1940 FrTemplate:Nbsp125
Bohemia and Moravia crown April 1939 KTemplate:Nbsp100
Bulgarian lev 1940 LevTemplate:Nbsp333.33
Danish crown 1940 DKrTemplate:Nbsp10
French franc May 1940 FrTemplate:Nbsp200
Italian lira 1943 LitTemplate:Nbsp100
Luxembourg franc May 1940 FrTemplate:Nbsp40
July 1940 FrTemplate:Nbsp100
Dutch guilder 10 May 1940 ƒ6.66
17 July 1940 ƒ7.57
Norwegian crown 1940 NKrTemplate:Nbsp13.33
? NKrTemplate:Nbsp17.50
Polish złoty 1939 Template:Nbsp20
Sterling (Channel Islands) 1940 £0Template:Nbsp17sTemplate:Nbsp<templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />4+12d
Croatian kuna April 1941 KnTemplate:Nbsp200
Slovak crown 1939 SkTemplate:Nbsp100
1 October 1940 SkTemplate:Nbsp116.20
Finnish mark 1941 FMkTemplate:Nbsp197.44

Post-war

After the Second World War, the Reichsmark continued to circulate in Germany, but with new banknotes (Allied Occupation Marks) printed in the US and in the Soviet Zone, as well as with coins (without swastikas). Inflation in the final months of the war had reduced the value of the Reichsmark from Template:Reichsmark = $1US to Template:Reichsmark = $1US and a barter economy had emerged due to the rapid depreciation. The Reichsmark was replaced by the Deutsche Mark at a rate of 10:1 (1:1 for cash and current accounts) in June 1948 in the Trizone[5] and later in the same year by the East German mark in the Soviet Occupation Zone (colloquially also "Ostmark", since 1968 officially "Mark der DDR"). The 1948 currency reform under the direction of Ludwig Erhard is considered the beginning of the West German economic recovery; however, the secret plan to introduce the Deutsche Mark in the Trizone was formulated by economist Edward A. Tenenbaum of the US military government, and was executed abruptly on 21 June 1948. Three days later, the new currency also replaced the Reichsmark in the three Western sectors of Berlin. In November 1945, the Reichsmark was superseded by the Second Austrian schilling in Austria. In 1947, the Saar mark, later replaced with the Saar franc, was introduced in the Saar.[6]

Coins

File:Reichsmark.jpg
5 Reichsmark coins without (1936) and with (1938) the Nazi swastika
File:1rpfront.jpg
Prewar bronze Reichspfennig (obverse)
File:1rp1943front.jpg
Wartime zinc Reichspfennig (obverse)
File:50rp1939efront.jpg
Aluminium 50 ℛ︁₰ coin (obverse)

Denominations

In 1924, coins were introduced in denominations of 1 ℛ︁₰, 2 ℛ︁₰, 5 ℛ︁₰, 10 ℛ︁₰, and 50 ℛ︁₰, and 1 ℳ︁ and 3 ℳ︁.[7]

4 Script error: No such module "Lang".

4Script error: No such module "Lang". coins were issued in 1932 as part of a failed attempt by the Reichskanzler Heinrich Brüning to reduce prices through use of 4 ℛ︁₰ pieces instead of 5 ℛ︁₰ coins. Known as the Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". ('poor Heinrich'), they were demonetized the following year. See Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:In lang. The quality of the Reichsmark coins decreased more and more towards the end of World War II and misprints happened more frequently.[8][9] Since the 4 ℛ︁₰ coin was only slightly larger than the 1 ℳ︁ coin and the imperial eagle looked similar, an attempt was made to pass it off as a 1-reichsmark coin by silvering the 4 ℛ︁₰ coin.[10]

10 Script error: No such module "Lang".

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The zinc 10 Script error: No such module "Lang". coin was minted by Nazi Germany between 1940 and 1945 during World War II, replacing the aluminium-bronze version, which had a distinct golden colour. It is worth <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />110 or .10 of a Reichsmark. Made entirely of zinc, the 10 ℛ︁₰ is an emergency issue type, similar to the zinc 1 ℛ︁₰ and 5 ℛ︁₰, and the aluminium 50 ℛ︁₰ coins from the same period.

Mint marks

Nazi Germany had a number of mints. Each mint location had its own identifiable letter. It is therefore possible to identify exactly which mint produced what coin by noting the mint mark on the coin. Not all mints were authorized to produce coins every year. The mints were also only authorized to produce a set number of coins with some mints allocated a greater production than others. Some of the coins with particular mint marks are therefore scarcer than others. With the silver Template:Reichsmark and Template:Reichsmark coins, the mint mark is found under the date on the left side of the coin. On the smaller denomination Reichspfennig coins, the mint mark is found on the bottom center of the coin.[11]

Mint mark Mint location Notes References
A State Mint Berlin, Germany Capital of Germany [11]
B Austrian Mint Vienna, Austria Capital of Austria [11]
D Bavarian Central Mint Munich, Germany Capital of Bavaria [11]
E Template:Interlanguage link near Dresden, Germany Capital of Saxony [11]
F Template:Interlanguage link Stuttgart, Germany Capital of Württemberg [11]
G Template:Interlanguage link Karlsruhe, Germany Capital of Baden [11]
J Mint of Hamburg, Germany [11]

Mintage

File:10rpgoldobv.jpg
Prewar 10 Reichspfennig (1938A, obverse)
File:10rpgoldrev.jpg
Prewar 10 Reichspfennig (1938A, reverse)
1940
Year Mintage Notes
1940 A 212,948,000
1940 B 76,274,000
1940 D 45,434,000
1940 E 34,350,000
1940 F 27,603,000
1940 G 27,308,000
1940 J 41,678,000
1941
Year Mintage Notes
1941 A 240,284,000
1941 B 70,747,000
1941 D 77,560,000
1941 E 36,548,000
1941 F 42,834,000
1941 G 28,765,000
1941 J 30,525,000
1942
Year Mintage Notes
1942 A 184,545,000
1942 B 16,329,000
1942 D 40,852,000
1942 E 18,334,000
1942 F 32,690,000
1942 G 20,295,000
1942 J 29,957,000
1943
Year Mintage Notes
1943 A 157,357,000
1943 B 11,940,000
1943 D 17,304,000
1943 E 10,445,000
1943 F 24,804,000
1943 G 3,618,000 Rare
1943 J 1,821,000 Rare
1944
Year Mintage Notes
1944 A 84,164,000
1944 B 40,781,000
1944 D 30,369,000
1944 E 29,963,000
1944 F 19,639,000
1944 G 13,023,000
1945[12]
Year Mintage Notes
1945 A 7,112,000 Rare
1945 E 4,897,000 Rare

Banknotes

Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The first Reichsmark banknotes were introduced by the Reichsbank and state banks such as those of Bavaria, Saxony and Baden. The first Reichsbank issue of 1924 came in denominations of Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, and Template:Reichsmark. This was followed by a second issue in the same denominations, dated between 1929 and 1936. The second issue commemorated persons who made contributions to German agriculture, industry, economy, science, and architecture: Template:Reichsmark issued in 1929 commemorated agronomist Albrecht Thaer; Template:Reichsmark issued in 1929 commemorated engineer, inventor, and industrialist Werner von Siemens; Template:Reichsmark issued in 1933 commemorated Prussian politician and banker David Hansemann; 100 ℛ︁ℳ︁ issued in 1935 commemorated chemist and "father of fertilizer industry" Justus von Liebig; Template:Reichsmark issued in 1936 commemorated Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

A newer version of Template:Reichsmark note was introduced in 1939, using a design taken from an unissued Austrian S100 banknote type. Template:Reichsmark notes were issued in 1942. Throughout this period, the Rentenbank also issued banknotes denominated in Rentenmark, mostly in RM 1 and RM 2 denominations.

In preparation for the occupation of Germany, the United States issued occupation banknotes dated 1944, printed by the Forbes Lithograph Printing Company of Boston. These were printed in similar colours with different sizes for groups of denominations. Notes were issued for <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />12 ℳ︁, 1 ℳ︁, 5 ℳ︁, 10 ℳ︁, 20 ℳ︁, 50 ℳ︁, 100 ℳ︁, and 1,000 ℳ︁. The issuer was the Script error: No such module "Lang". ('Allied military authorities') with Script error: No such module "Lang". ('in legal circulation in Germany') printed on the obverse.

These notes were convertible to US dollars at a rate of 10:1. Seeing an opportunity to procure foreign hard currency, the Soviet Union demanded copies of the engraving plates, ink, and associated equipment in early 1944, and on 14 April 1944 Henry Morgenthau and Harry Dexter White of the U.S. Treasury Department authorized the air transfer of these to the USSR. Using a printing plant in occupied Leipzig, the Soviet authorities printed large runs of occupation marks to fill Soviet coffers with dollars causing inflation and financial instability. An investigation by the United States Congress (Occupation Currency Transactions Hearings before the Committee on Appropriations, Armed Services and Banking and Currency, U.S. Senate, 1947) found that about $380,000,000 "more currency than there were appropriations for" had been circulated.

In 1947 Rhineland-Palatinate issued 5₰ and 10₰ notes with Script error: No such module "Lang". on them.

Occupation Reichsmark

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File:2Reichsmark.jpg
2 Reichsmark of the occupied territories

Coins and banknotes for circulation in the occupied territories during the war were issued by the Reichskreditkassen. Holed, zinc coins in 5 ℛ︁₰ and 10 ℛ︁₰ denominations were struck in 1940 and 1941. Banknotes were issued between 1939 and 1945 in denominations of 50 ℛ︁₰, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, and Template:Reichsmark. These served as legal tender alongside the currency of the occupied countries.

The coins were originally planned in great numbers of 100 million and 250 million each of the 5 ℛ︁₰ and 10 ℛ︁₰ coins respectively. The first embossing order, which was issued in April 1940, was about 40 million × 5 ℛ︁₰ and 100 million × 10 ℛ︁₰. The total amount was divided between each of the seven German mints after the embossing key of 1939. The contract was stopped in August 1940 as the Wehrmacht, which had requested the coins for Belgium and France, had no more need of it. When the embossing stopped, only Berlin ("A") and Munich ("D") produced significant quantities, but they still came to only a small extent of original production plans. The majority were melted down due to the limited supply of metal and thus, most mint marks are now quite rare (except for 1940 5 A and D, and 1940 10 A).

File:KF-Lagergeld-10Reichspfennig.jpg
Prisoner of war camp issue of Template:Interlanguage link

Concentration camp and POW Reichsmark currency

Various special issues of Reichsmark currency were issued for use in concentration and prisoner of war (POW) camps (Stalag). None were legal tender in Germany itself. From 1942 to 1943 tokens were struck for use within the Łódź Ghetto.[13]Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Military Reichsmark currency

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File:1944 German Military Mark.JPG
Both sides of a "5 Mark" banknote, issued as "Allied Military Currency" for use within the Allied forces in Germany

Special issues of Reichsmark currency were issued for use by the Wehrmacht from 1942 to 1944. The first issue was denominated in 1 ℛ︁₰, 5 ℛ︁₰, 10 ℛ︁₰, and 50 ℛ︁₰ and Template:Reichsmark, but was valued at 1 military Reichspfennig = 10 civilian Reichspfennig. This series was printed on only one side. The second issue notes of Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, Template:Reichsmark, and Template:Reichsmark were equal in value to the ordinary German Reichsmark and were printed on both sides.

The 5 Mark note pictured, front and back, is Allied military currency ("AMC") printed at Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company in Boston for occupied Germany. There were different AMCs for each liberated area of Europe.[14]

See also

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References

Template:Reflist Template:Refbegin

Template:Refend

Further reading

External links

Template:Sister project

Preceded by:
Rentenmark
Reason: hyperinflation
Ratio: 1 Rentenmark = 1,000,000,000,000 Papiermark, and 4.2 Rentenmark = US$1
Currency of Germany
(Weimar Republic borders)

1924 – 1948
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
East German Mark
Reason: reaction to the changeover in Trizone (later West Germany and West Berlin)
Ratio: 1 Mark = 7 Rentenmark on the first 70 Rentenmark for private individuals, otherwise 1 Kuponmark = 10 Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Deutsche Mark
Reason: intended to protect West Germany from the second wave of hyperinflation and stop the rampant barter and black market trade
Ratio: 1 Deutsche Mark = 1 Rentenmark for first Template:Reichsmark, 1 Deutsche Mark = 10 Rentenmark thereafter, plus each person received 40 Deutsche Mark
Succeeded by:
Polish złoty
Reason: Transfer of the Recovered Territories to Poland
Ratio: None
Succeeded by:
Soviet ruble
Reason: Transfer of modern Kaliningrad Oblast to Soviet Union
Ratio: None
Preceded by:
French franc
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: ?
Currency of Saarland
1935 – 1947
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Saar mark
Reason: creation of the protectorate
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Austrian schilling
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 1.5 Schilling
Currency of Austria
1938 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Austrian schilling
Reason: restoration of independence
Ratio: 1:1 for first 150 Schilling
Preceded by:
Czechoslovak koruna
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: ?
Currency of Sudetenland
1938 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Czechoslovak koruna
Reason: re-integration to Czechoslovakia
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Lithuanian litas
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 2.5 litas
Currency of Klaipėda (Memel)
1939 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Soviet ruble
Reason: re-integration to Soviet Union
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Danzig gulden
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 1.43 Gulden
Currency of the Free City of Danzig
1939 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Polish złoty
Reason: annexation to Poland
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Polish złoty
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 2 złote
Currency of Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany
1939 – 1945
Succeeded by:
Polish złoty
Reason: re-integration to Poland
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Belgian franc
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 12.5 franc
Currency of Eupen-Malmedy
1940 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Belgian franc
Reason: re-integration to Belgium
Ratio: 1 Mark = 12.5 franc
Preceded by:
Luxembourgish franc
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 10 Franc
Currency of Luxembourg
1940 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Belgian franc
Luxembourgish franc

Reason: restoration of independence
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
French franc
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: ?
Currency of Alsace-Lorraine
1940 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
French franc
Reason: re-integration to France
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Yugoslav dinar
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: 1 Mark = 20 dinars
Currency of northern Slovenia
1941 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Yugoslav dinar
Reason: re-integration to Yugoslavia
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Italian lira
Reason: annexation to Germany
Ratio: ?
Currency of southern Slovenia
1943 – 1945
Note: In parallel with Rentenmark
Succeeded by:
Yugoslav dinar
Reason: re-integration to Yugoslavia
Ratio: ?
Preceded by:
Soviet ruble
Reason: annexation to Romania
Ratio: ?
Currency of Transnistria
1941 – 1945
Succeeded by:
Soviet ruble
Reason: re-integration to Soviet Union
Ratio: ?

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Template:Mark Template:Currencies of Former Yugoslavia Template:Currency signs

Template:Authority control

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  8. Matthias Kordes: Die Geschichte der Münzen in Westfalen von 1855–2005. In: Sparkasse Vest Recklinghausen (Hrsg.): 150 Jahre Sparkasse Vest Recklinghausen. Gut für die Region. Sparkasse Vest Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen
  9. Dieter Petzina: Hauptprobleme der deutschen Wirtschaftspolitik 1932/33. In: Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte. 1967, 15. Jahrgang, Heft 1, S. 18–55 (PDF).
  10. Ausgabe neuer Reichskupfermünzen zu 4 Reichspfennig. In: Die Fahrt, hrsg: Berliner Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft, 4. Jg., Nr. 7 (1. April 1932), S. 49
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